Ice
by TheOtherShin
Summary: "Clarity is a proper distribution of light and shadow." After an unexpected kiss in the locker room, Kagami and Kuroko fall into an uncertain and sporadic relationship with each other, gradually trying to find harmony and stability while hormones and circumstance do everything possible to get in the way.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The kiss was an accident. Or so Kagami Taiga would always claim. So heavily relied upon were he and his elusive and nearly-complete opposite of a "shadow" during games that he rarely got to see said shadow play for himself, and all it took was being benched during a simple practice match for such an opportunity to present itself. Kuroko was different when he played; the impassive, blank blue stare he presented to the rest of the world hardened, and became sharper, more precise and determined, and almost appeared to grow lighter in color. He moved so quickly and unpredictably that - if Kagami had not been deliberately trying to focus on him - it would have been only a matter of time before it slipped his mind that he was even there. Which had become a fact he was accustomed to; it was difficult to keep Kuroko in sight if one grew distracted for even a moment, and even following his every move, Kagami could almost feel a pressure at the edges of his darting eyes, as if they were trying to blur the figure they were trained on out of view. It was fascinating; being able to see for himself something he counted on so often to save his ass when the going was tough. Kuroko was a safety net, for the man who was too headstrong and proud to admit he needed one, on occasion.

Seirin's first-years were being pitted against their elders, at the current moment, and Kagami had been asked to sit out for now, to "even the odds" as Riko so delicately put it. Of course her ulterior motive was for the other players to get a chance to seize some action, as they would be immediately outshone and discarded as inferior pawns if Kagami were allowed to step in. This he reflected on with a self-assured smirk to himself; it was good to be the best of the best.

Of course...it was also exceedingly boring. Watching while being unable to act - as his fellow teammates received a brutal pounding from the older members of that category - was gradually making him feel restless, and he found himself fidgeting and trying to find something productive to occupy his mind... which was starting to wander to other less-than-vital subjects, such as the state of disrepair the soles of his shoes were starting to show, or the mountain of cheeseburgers he intended to devour later tonight.

Then his eye was caught by a flash of brightest blue, and he followed the streak of color curiously, which turned out to be the inertia generated by Kuroko's abrupt change of direction, immediately following one of his explosive passes. Templing his fingers and resting his chin against them, Kagami watched the phantom-like player he'd never really studied and analyzed as an opponent - much less a teammate - with growing interest. He followed the skids and squeaks of his shoes that indicated where he was going to stop or turn; the beams of concentration he seemed to shoot from those piercing eyes; the split-second's pause, the little frown, just before he rapidly, almost violently, directed the ball to its target; the shimmering drops of sweat he shook from his disheveled hair as he exerted his body to keep up with the rest. Where usually they would be unconsciously diverted, he couldn't tear his eyes away.

When the match finally ended, with the first-years having been utterly trounced by their senpais and left gasping for air with their hands braced against their knees, Kagami stood, ignoring the unspent adrenaline still pumping through his veins, and trailed reluctantly after his team to the lockers, resolving to practice some shots on his own later to loosen up and relieve his twitchiness. And maybe he slammed the gym locker a little too loudly, maybe he answered his team's exclamations of respective good cheer and grudging admiration in a voice that was a little too strained… maybe he was turning green with envy, glancing at the post-workout stretching and satisfied sweating as they gradually departed, but he hoped the coach was happy he'd sat out this round so everyone could play nice and fair.

"Is everything alright...Kagami-kun?"

Kagami did not yelp in surprise at the calm voice right behind him. Nor did he jump out of his skin and whip around, heart pounding and eyes wild and startled. No, such a thing would be unthinkable. He might have just...flinched a little bit, from being so pent-up.

"Fine," he said shortly, glancing at the speaker, whose innate habit of sneaking up unannounced seemed to be most prevalent around him.

"You seem tense," Kuroko observed, looking at him with impenetrable blue portals that could tell him everything and nothing at once, "Are you upset that you didn't get to play?"

"Of course not," Kagami muttered, crouching and pretending to tie his shoelaces, which of course had not become untied in the slightest from all his sitting around doing nothing. "...Actually," he added, almost forcefully, glancing back up at his company, "It was interesting watching you play. Usually I don't really see you in action...you're invisible."

"That is why I'm here." the other shrugged, as though thinking nothing of it, though it was obvious that behind his unreadable eyes he was pondering this.

Kagami stood again, perhaps a little too abruptly, intending to gather his things together and leave so he could find the nearest court and shoot some hoops to clear his head, but as he was reaching for his bag, Kuroko spoke again, hastily.

"The others aren't like you."

Perplexed, Kagami turned and looked at his "shadow" once again, noticing the sheen of perspiration down his neck and cheek catching the light, his still-uneven breathing from running to catch up with his team.

"What do you mean?" he said bluntly, "Of course they aren't." The mere idea of the other players stealing his skills, crowding his limelight, was enough to set his hackles bristling.

"I prefer to be a shadow to you," Kuroko replied, in the same indifferent tone, "Now that I can compare."

Kagami hesitated, looking him up and down to try to read his intentions. He recalled the icy fire in Kuroko's eyes when he was in the heat of a duel, today it had burned almost pathetically in comparison to the rare - but real - frosty inferno he occasionally glimpsed when they played for real, together.

Slowly, as if operating on autopilot, he took a step or two closer to the slighter man, scanning his inscrutable gaze, bizarrely and helplessly caught.

"...And I prefer to be your light," he breathed, almost to himself. He didn't know why but his heart was racing, and he was feeling an itch of vague anticipation, somewhere at the back of his neck and his knuckles. He saw Kuroko's lips part as if in preparation to say something else, but before Kagami could think he'd snatched a fistful of sweat-dampened hair and covered his mouth with his own, hard. Kuroko - predictably - went rigid in surprise, but didn't pull away, and neither did he respond otherwise. Something in Kagami's mind cringed in shock, but something else was purring with approval, and a chink of tension fell away, just like that.

When the impromptu kiss broke, both of them were panting slightly, neither quite sure what had just happened. Kagami hesitantly met Kuroko's eyes, and found them as blank and devoid of reaction as always, giving him no hints, nothing to work with.

"Why…?" Surprisingly, the word fell from Kagami's own lips, though he supposed he didn't expect an answer from his counterpart. In fact, he half-expected Kuroko to leave, to vanish as he was so prone to do without warning or sound of any kind, like a puff of smoke… but still he stood there, eyebrows drawn together the barest bit, giving him a look of almost concern.

The silence stretched out impossibly, and to Kagami's ears it was louder than any shouting or thundering applause he'd ever heard.

"Say something," he managed, trying and failing to make the plea sound like a command, shifting in his shoes that felt much too tight all of the sudden.

Kuroko gave no visible reaction, but his voice was softer, when he replied phlegmatically, "I need to think." He swung his bag over his shoulder without another word and walked away, leaving Kagami in the locker room alone. He did not drag his feet, but nor did he hurry...he gave nothing to indicate how he was feeling, one way or the other, as usual.

After a moment, Kagami sat down heavily with his back to the lockers, hardly able to believe a moment ago he'd just kissed a teammate. Not just a teammate, but _Kuroko..._a man.

"Yeah…" he sighed to himself, "Me too."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"What do you mean he kissed you?"

"He did," Kuroko said shortly, looking at Riko as steadily as he always did, though he could still feel the frown weighing on his forehead, "At least...I think so." It still seemed like it hadn't actually happened, but he was fairly certain his imagination was not quite this wild.

"He just...laid on one you; he didn't say anything?" Riko asked, moving a strand of hair out of her face, away from her wide, startled eyes.

"No, nothing...unusual, anyway." Nothing to make him suspect Kagami's intent. But then...maybe he hadn't intended to at all. He could be rather impulsive, but why was that his impulse? _We were just talking...I said I'd rather be his shadow…_ Not exactly a statement meriting a compulsory liplock. Was it suppressed or subconscious desire, then? But what for?

He'd been trying to analyze and make sense of this for almost half an hour before seeking out the coach, behind the school, and driving himself repeatedly in endless circles was making his head start to hurt.

"Did he...I mean, did he seem to like it?" Riko looked genuinely concerned for Kagami's health, or sanity, or something, and she kept scrutinizing Kuroko closely as if she would find evidence of the mysterious kiss on him.

"I don't know," Kuroko admitted, adjusting one of the sweatbands still around his wrists; he'd forgotten to change into his street clothes before leaving the locker room...usually his mind was not so muddled. "He didn't seem to know what he was doing." And that was the truth. Directly before he'd...caught Kuroko by the mouth, he'd seemed to be in a daze, like a moth drawn to a flame.

Riko was silent for a moment, and then asked tentatively, "...Did you?"

"Did I know what I was doing?" Kuroko blinked, tilting his head slightly in confusion.

"No, I meant...did you like it?"

Kuroko hesitated, not breaking eye-contact, but behind his calm gaze he waged a war against himself, and when it came to the blow that would decide the battle...he forfeited.

"I don't know," he repeated, wiping his forehead that had broken out in sweat again, this time not from exertion, but anxiety. He hadn't protested, he supposed, when Kagami did what he did, but did that mean he'd enjoyed it? And just because Kagami was the one who initiated it, did that mean _he_ had? In truth, neither of them had really given themselves time to decide if it was enjoyable or not. It had no tone, it just was. And surprisingly, both of them had seemed shocked by what happened. The way Kagami had looked at him, Kuroko had almost considered some unseen entity had forced his hand...or his...lips, he supposed.

"...It's a lot to think about, isn't it?" Riko prompted, in a cadence that suggested she'd seen the flush that coordinated with the heat Kuroko felt rising up his cheeks.

"Yes." he said softly. He was silent for a moment, biting his lip, and then asked, "What do you think I should do, coach?"

Riko looked surprised - it was rare that he asked for someone else's input - and then looked like she would have liked to suggest a dozen things, but in the end she shrugged slightly, "That's not for me to say. It's up to you. But, things to consider...do you like Kagami-kun?"

"Of course." Kuroko said, and then added a little bluntly, "...Most of the time."

"You do get along well; you balance each other out, personality-wise. Now, balance his hot head and use your cool one to think about this. One kiss out of the blue is not a huge deal, but do you think it will affect how you - both of you - perform in games?"

Kuroko rolled the idea around in his head. True, Kagami could get worked up and obsessed over things that were insignificant to others, but… "Kagami is not the type to be diverted from a goal, especially if winning is involved; he's focused, and takes basketball as seriously as I do."

"Good, then I don't need to worry about a couple of my best players slacking because of some personal matters. As long as that's the way things are, I'll try my best not to interfere. This is between the two of you."

"But -"

"Take some time to think about your options, is what I'd suggest...you know yourself best."

Kuroko frowned, _But I don't even know what I want….or what he wants…_ "I'll have to speak to him alone again…"

Riko cracked an encouraging smile, "Don't look so doom-and-gloom about it, I'm sure he's got his fair share of questions. He won't bite your head off or anything for wanting to discuss it."

"...I hope not."

.

.

Kagami was famished, but he wasn't eating with his usual zeal, only finishing his fourth burger, instead of the dozen or so he should have been able to wolf down by now. He hadn't been able to think straight when he was shooting either, and had actually gotten hit in the face with his own rebound, a sad fact that had mortified him enough to quit for the day and leave the court for some food at the Maji Burger.

He was crumpling up a wrapper and reaching somewhat-unenthusiastically for his next burger when he glanced at the seat across the table from him, in which the familiar apparition of Kuroko had suddenly materialized. It was nerve-wracking enough when he popped up out of nowhere - leaving Kagami to perpetually wonder how long he'd been sitting there - but after the recent confusing moment he'd walked away from, the shock was probably enough to give him whiplash.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" He hadn't stammered; time had just inexplicably decided to stop for a moment, that was all.

Kuroko looked at him deadpan, which was of course his usual expression, "I like the vanilla milkshakes, remember?" He held the one in his hand up briefly as if to indicate the fact.

"O-of course…" He didn't even try to cover the return of the stammer...which was of course caused by a bit of food lodged in his throat, and not nervousness.

Kuroko moved his straw about absently, as if contemplating something, "Besides...I thought we should talk. About earlier."

They did nothing of the sort for a few minutes, silently avoiding one another's gaze and focusing on their respective food and drink. Eventually, though, the oppressive silence started to get stressful.

"So talk." Kagami muttered impatiently, swallowing the rest of his fifth cheeseburger in one enormous gulp.

"I meant _we_. As in dialogue...a conversation?" Kuroko mumbled, meeting his eyes with deceivingly impartial blue ones.

_He's stalling… _"Sure. I'm game." Kagami shrugged, though he wasn't really. Part of him, a large part, wanted to pretend that moment in the locker room hadn't happened. "….You're not angry, about before?"

"No."

_Always a man of few words...can it even be called a conversation if that's all he gives me?_

But it only took Kuroko a few seconds of gathering his thoughts to continue, "...Just confused, mostly. And you seemed to be too."

Another of Kuroko's diversionary tactics, Kagami recognized, speaking more of his perception of others' emotions than of his own. He used his skills with misdirection just as heavily in speech as he did in basketball.

"I was. I don't know why…why I k-kissed you, it kind of just happened."

Kuroko's gaze shifted the barest bit as his eyebrows furrowed inquisitively, "Did you want to?"

"I don't know…" Kagami confessed, pulling at the collar of his shirt that felt at the moment like it was choking him, "If I did, I didn't know I did. I wasn't...thinking about it or anything."

Sure, he had been thinking about Kuroko, but...not anything like that. Just about the way he'd performed and what they had been talking about at the time. Granted, he'd been pretty riled up from having to sit on the sidelines while the others played, but he certainly hadn't been thinking of...planting one on his teammate. He was pretty sure that was easily at the very bottom of the list of things on his mind.

Kuroko seemed to brood on this for a while, sucking down some of his milkshake. The way those lips - lips Kagami had touched, if briefly - wrapped around the straw, and the little slurps he heard caught his interest, and he found himself watching as if before a television, forgetting about the pile of burgers still in front of him for a moment.

And then Kuroko pulled away from the straw and passed his tongue across his upper lip to catch a stray white droplet; the quick peek of pink had Kagami unconsciously leaning forward in his seat slightly.

"If you could…" Kuroko began hesitantly, setting down the cup, "...Would you want to do it again?"

_Oh god...I didn't even get to _taste... Quickly breaking off the train of thought, he forced his expression into what he hoped was honest consideration, and not the hungry look he feared he had been giving his "shadow".

"Would you?" he countered quickly, hoping desperately that his face wasn't as beet-red as it felt like it was.

Kuroko looked at him calculatingly, and then gave the barest, faintest tilt of a half-smile. "I'd consider it."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Have you ever kissed another man before?"

Kagami stopped mid-step, between cracks on the sidewalk; the cool night breeze ruffling through his hair. It was things like that - the bluntness, the point-blank, unapologetic questions - that were part of what made Kuroko such an interesting and impossible puzzle.

"Heh. Shameless," he muttered, shaking his head from side to side slowly with some mixture of exasperation and amusement, "You mean before today? No, I haven't. ...Have you?" He assumed it was only fair that he got to return the question. They had mostly subsided to the usual small talk once they left the Maji Burger and started to head home unhurriedly, but it seemed the subject of the accidental kiss was circling back around.

"...Ever thought about it?" Kuroko asked, looking up at him as he caught up - having to take two or three strides for every one of Kagami's to compensate for his shorter legs.

It took Kagami a moment to realize his teammate hadn't answered him, and he rubbed a hand against the back of his neck self-consciously, shifting his weight to his other foot, "I….think everyone's wondered about their options and...preferences...at least in passing."

Kuroko nodded thoughtfully and fell silent again, as per usual. After a moment, Kagami started walking again. He wanted to press and see if he'd get an answer to his earlier question, but he reasoned that Kuroko couldn't have misheard him, and if he'd been willing to respond, he would have. It certainly piqued his curiosity, however, and he couldn't help glancing at his "shadow" every now and again, trying to decide heads or tails for himself. Kuroko didn't seem the type to have had a romantic relationship with someone, regardless of gender. He was pretty oblivious - or, it dawned on Kagami, possibly rejecting - of Momoi's claims of being his girlfriend, and he'd never seen or heard him show the slightest interest in kissing or dating or anything of the sort. Then again, when the two of them talked, usually it was just about the main point of interest they shared; basketball. In fact, he knew very little about Kuroko's personal life, or family, or hobbies outside of the sport he played. Still, the common interest was comforting; one constant on which they could always relate.

As they passed by the street court, abandoned as usual, Kuroko paused, gazing through the chainlink fence at the hoops glinting in the starlight almost longingly. Kagami felt that pull too; all it took was a glimpse of something basketball-related to make him want to play. Stopping beside him, Kagami fished in his bag and extracted the ball he'd been using earlier when he played by himself.

"Want to go one-on-one?" he smirked, already knowing the answer, "Just a couple rounds to get the blood flowing." Not that either of them particularly needed to be energized, but it was a calm night, and they still had some time before it got too dark to see the net.

He imagined Kuroko might have smiled, just barely, and he nodded, "Yeah." Of course he was outmatched with no other teammates to pass to, but he must have sensed the offer was only meant to be friendly competition, not an attempt on Kagami's part to cream him just to show he could.

Relieved that there didn't seem to be any awkwardness between them from the events of today, Kagami let himself loosen up as he joined his teammate on the court, shedding his jacket and tossing his bag aside. Kuroko did the same; stretching briefly and giving an excellent view of his triceps, hinting at still developing, but powerful shoulder blades underneath his shirt. A sight that...hadn't used to make Kagami's heart rate speed up, had it? Must have just been the anticipation of a match.

To be as fair as possible, he tossed Kuroko the ball first, after testing its pressure by squeezing it between his palms.

"First one to ten points wins, and then we'll call it a night," he suggested. Which may end up taking no time at all, depending on how things went.

Kuroko thought about it, bouncing the ball against the pavement once, "Twelve."

_He's feeling confident? Or just wants to play longer?_ Whichever it was, it made Kagami grin with excitement, "Sounds good to me."

If he'd blinked, he would have missed Kuroko's movement. He was past him and on the other side of the court in what felt like a nanosecond, dribbling rapidly before coming to an abrupt stop, taking a shooting stance, albeit using his palms more than his fingers. Shaking off his surprise, Kagami reacted, blocking his path and preparing to either deflect the ball out of the air...or catch the rebound, depending.

He caught a flash of unadulterated focus in those icy blue eyes, and what appeared to be more of a comet than a basketball sailed right over his head, almost vertically, before plunging through the net with a satisfying swish.

_He's definitely improved his shooting, with Aomine's help,_ Kagami thought, snatching the ball as it fell.

"Don't you dare go easy on me, Kagami-kun." Kuroko commanded softly, drawing himself up to his full height, which...honestly wasn't that impressive, but it did prove he was serious.

Kagami realized that he'd spaced out; he hadn't intentionally been going easy on his opponent. He had been more interested in what Kuroko was going to do than in stopping him from doing it.

"Alright, you asked for it." He laughed, taking off in the direction of the other hoop, giving Kuroko enough time to catch up with him, but not stop him. It was likely it wouldn't matter either way; with Kuroko's slighter size and strength he probably could no more stop Kagami than hold back a steam roller, but Kagami didn't intend to trample his friend.

He'd crossed the court, evaded Kuroko's attempts at defense, and leapt for a devastating dunk that shook the whole hoop without even breaking a sweat, and then he was jogging alongside his adversary in the other direction, conveying that he could keep this pace for hours if he had to. Kuroko threw him a glance full of a startling amount of fire, almost making Kagami stop in his tracks, laying eyes on it. His easy stride did falter, but he recovered it before he could trip and forever endure the humiliation of falling on his face in front of his teammate. He did throw off Kuroko's aim on his next shot, the ball ricocheting harmlessly off the rim of the net.

It went on this way for almost twenty minutes, but the result was a foregone conclusion. Despite Kuroko's increase in shooting ability, he could not defeat the wildfire that was Seirin's ace, and Kagami won the match, nearly doubling Kuroko's final score of seven. For all his complacency and holding back, he'd given his opponent just enough rope to hang himself. Both players were panting heavily, however, and the ball was allowed to roll to one side of the court while they caught their breath.

Kagami was used to feeling overheated after a game, but at the moment he almost felt feverish, and wound up enough that he probably could have run a mile and still felt pumped. He was also suffering from the same odd affliction that had plagued him earlier today...the inability to take his gaze off his teammate, when normally he might have already forgotten he was there. Kuroko's eyes still retained the intensity they'd shown during the match, though he had to repeatedly wipe sweat out of them as it dripped down from his forehead. Almost aimlessly, he moved over to where he'd left his bag and dug around for a water bottle, seeming to disregard Kagami's enormous, victorious presence at the moment.

Kagami recognized that he probably should have been able to slow his breathing and pulse at least a little by now; he hadn't exerted himself terribly, and he wasn't sweating much...but for some reason he was still gasping for air, his heart beating like it was trying to break through his ribs. He lurched a step in Kuroko's direction, and then approached him slowly, stopping a few feet away when it occurred to him that he didn't know why he was moving closer to him. He watched his "shadow" tip back his head and take a long swallow from the bottle of water in his hand, some of it escaping and running down the side of his neck, and he felt his own mouth growing dry.

Kuroko blinked at him when he lowered the bottle from his lips, actually looking startled, instead of emotionless. Kagami wondered distantly just what he was doing to incite that kind of reaction.

"...What?" his teammate asked after a second or two.

Kagami proceeded to look at him blankly, nonplussed.

"You're staring at me." Kuroko informed him matter-of-factly.

"Wha…" he answered eloquently, remembering to blink now and then to try not to appear psychotic or anything. He registered that he had in fact been staring at Kuroko, and his charged senses singing with adrenaline wanted to do more than stare, "I think… I wa...I want to kiss you again…" he managed, his voice slightly hoarse.

Kuroko demonstrated a perfect replay of a few seconds ago; blinking once in confusion, and then appearing taken aback. It was rare to see blatant emotion on such an unreadable person's face, but it was very clear he hadn't been expecting that.

"Why?" he questioned, seeming to come up empty-handed after a moment of trying to rationalize the shaky declaration, running a hand through his sweaty hair in a futile effort to tame it. And if he knew how that little action made Kagami's knees suddenly feel weak, he might take this emotion thing a step further and actually laugh.

"I don't know…" Kagami muttered, "I just do...I-I _really_ do." he amended, hesitantly taking a step closer. His heart was still hammering; unevenly, which he doubted was good for his health, and he could feel warmth crawling up his face, likely accompanied by a responding flush of color.

Kuroko studied his shoes, and then some point over Kagami's shoulder, ominously silent for almost a full minute. Then he shrugged.

"Go ahead." Said indifferently, as a matter of course, but Kagami had gotten good at reading the subtle signs that hinted at concealed emotional reaction. The little twitch at the corner of his mouth, for instance, indicating he was either pleased or nervous...or both.

Tentatively, hardly daring to believe what he was doing, he eliminated the remaining distance between them, studying the bluer-than-blue eyes that seemed to pierce right into his very core. He remembered how they'd flashed and calculated and criticized while he was playing, and suddenly he wasn't just standing and staring, he was doing, and he lunged, latching onto the lips a few inches from his own.

He heard a ringing clatter, and his knuckles came in abrupt contact with thin rings of metal. Squinting open his eyes briefly, he discerned that he'd backed Kuroko against the chainlink fence surrounding the court with the force he'd used, but he paid this little mind, ensnaring one hand in the silky hair within his grasp, the other remaining on the fence, fingers clenching in it. He pried Kuroko's lips open with his own and slipped his tongue into his mouth, surprised when this was met with enthusiasm, the appendage his "shadow" used so sparingly for speech showing just how fluent it could be in another language that needed no words. He felt more than heard a soft vocalization that could have been approval vibrating against his lips, and he found that he didn't need to ask if Kuroko was alright with this development; that little sound and the arms gradually wrapping around his shoulders told him all he needed to know.

He pressed closer to his teammate, looming and all but flattening him to the fence behind him, and he felt Kuroko sinking, slumping against the barrier as if he'd been overpowered, or his legs had given way. Rather than fight it, he sank with him, until he was all but in the smaller man's lap, kneeling between his knees and using his height advantage to deepen the kiss, which had gained something in confidence even as it lost something in grace. After a count of several minutes, he slowly drew away, looking into inscrutable eyes that now appeared rather dazed.

"Kagami…" Kuroko murmured, arms still loosely slung around his neck. Before Kagami could answer, he leaned in and touched their lips together again briefly, offering what might have been a small, shy smile, telling him without words not to ruin the moment.

The hard asphalt was making his knees start to ache, and it was getting both cold and very dark, but given his way, in a perfect world, Kagami most likely wouldn't have budged an inch from there all night long.

TBC

_((Hey look, you actually get a word from the author this time. ...And a remotely decent-sized chapter, cheesy endings aside. Now, this may seem happy-sappy right now, but this is me we're talking about...if you know me, you'll know it's got to go hard and fast into the angst department sooner or later. And hey, guess what? You're right. Yes I have a plan for this little story, it's not just an excuse to write about basketball jocks making out._

_-Shinsun))_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It seemed Kagami took the second kiss on the street court as permission to ask for more when he wanted them, and it was a little surprising how _ravenous_ he could be, once the floodgates had been allowed to open a fraction. Kuroko had noticed a pattern, however, as a few days passed in tentative experimentation. It quickly became obvious that Kagami was the most eager when he was riled up, whether after playing or running or some sort of physical effort. In fact he'd never prompted for anything just out of the blue, it was always when he was panting and sweating and feeling invigorated. And while he was fervent and confident when he did snatch up Kuroko's lips on occasion, he was also awkward and sometimes even plain stupid about it, especially bringing it up. Which wasn't that surprising; Kagami was an infernal meathead about many things, and his apparent cluelessness about subtlety and tact caused Kuroko to wonder if it was possible that he was the first person Kagami had taken an interest in this way. That would be both flattering and...confusing, because it brought questions like '_Why me?' _and '_Why now?'_ to Kuroko's mind. He didn't think Kagami was entirely innocent; he seemed to know what he was doing thus far, and knew how to take control and keep it...besides, he'd spent a lot of time around Alex, who seemed to have a casual kissing and stripping fetish; a deadly combination... but Kuroko did wonder if Kagami's intimate knowledge - at least firsthand experience - began and ended with kissing.

One thing was certain, and that was that Kagami definitely didn't seem comfortable making the arrangement - whatever it was or ended up being - public. In these few days, the only one who knew anything at all was Riko, and all she was aware of was that Kagami had spontaneously smooched Kuroko one time, and it hadn't affected their gameplay or anything, so in her mind, the matter must have been discarded as unimportant. And maybe it was. After all, the only thing that was out of the ordinary was sometimes after practice or a workout, Kagami would pin him against the lockers once they were alone and kiss the breath out of him for several minutes, before leaving school as if nothing unusual had happened. They still routinely ate dinner at Maji Burger, they still walked each other home, chatting idly; nothing else had changed. As far as he was concerned, they were still only friends and teammates who just...made out from time to time. And from what he was picking up, he didn't think Kagami wanted any more than that….he didn't think he knew how to want any more than that.

He supposed that was fine, and enough of a novelty and turn of events in itself, but there was something about the abruptness with which Kagami broke away once he'd gotten his fix, leaving Kuroko to slump against the bench or the lockers to catch his breath and soft-pedal the mounting excitement; something about the way he was only willing to initiate those stolen moments when he was bubbling over with adrenaline spurring him on; something that left Kuroko just a little...unsatisfied.

He didn't say so to Kagami of course, in fact they spoke about such things very little now that the matter of confirmed - if fluctuating- mutual attraction had been settled, more or less. The way Kagami went about it, he seemed to be under the impression that he was being unreasonable or greedy taking as much as he did, and withdrew as quickly as possible, subjecting Kuroko to as little of the experience as he could. Being the boneheaded, stubborn child he could sometimes transform into, it probably never occurred to him that Kuroko might actually enjoy it as much as he did, and might enjoy if it was taken further. He supposed it would be best to give it some time; time for both of them to adjust and figure out what they each wanted. It had only been a couple of days, after all, there was no need to rush.

.

.

"Hey...Kuroko...? Wake up."

Kuroko blinked open his eyes, peeling his cheek from the hard surface of the desk it had been resting against. Uncomprehendingly, mind still foggy with half-sleep, he met the dark red and concerned gaze of the speaker, who'd leaned his arm against the back of his own chair to look at him.

"You've been falling asleep in class a lot," Kagami informed him, as if he didn't already know this from jolting awake at the sound of the bell ringing or the professor's ranting in his ear. Dozing off during class was pretty normal after a grueling game or particularly strenuous practice, but neither of those things held current relevance. And yet, the midday naps. Given his way, at least he knew he preferred to rejoin the world of the living to Kagami's gentle prompting than the teacher's indignant squawking.

"...I haven't been sleeping very well lately," he admitted, muzzily rubbing his eyes with one wrist.

"Well it seems like you have been," Kagami answered nonchalantly, "Just not at night?"

"Not really."

Kagami was silent a few seconds, looking calculating, and then he shrugged with one shoulder, "Any particular reason? Something bothering you?"

"I don't think so," Kuroko muttered, pressing a hand to his hair to try to flatten it; it appeared his infamous bedhead showed up somewhat even when he hadn't necessarily been in bed. He swore he caught a glimpse of a conniving grin sneaking across Kagami's face as he watched this.

"Maybe I should tell the coach to give you a break," he offered wickedly, knowing how this suggestion would be greeted.

"No!" Kuroko snapped immediately, only realizing how fervent - and therefore loud - the protest was when several heads turned around to look at him, and the professor paused in his lecture before going on, as though pretending there had been no interruption.

"I'm fine," Kuroko continued levelly, not amused by the laughter dancing in those familiar crimson eyes, "Keep your damn nose out of my business."

"Always interesting when you get fiery," Kagami said lazily, crossing his arms on the back of his chair so he could better lean against it and scrutinize his "shadow", "Relax, I'll leave Riko out of it. But you'd better not pass out on the court or she'll kick both of our asses."

"Kagami Taiga, face front." the professor commanded crisply, from the front of the room. Reluctantly, with an edge of irritation, Kagami obeyed, shooting one last glance at him before turning around.

Picking up his pencil, and trying to remember what he was supposed to be writing down, Kuroko stared at the blank sheet of notebook paper, looking balefully back up at him. It wasn't long before another sheet of paper dropped on top of it, this one noticeably more crumpled up, into a ball in fact, and - glancing up - he assumed that Kagami had tossed it over his shoulder at him; even off the court, he had impeccable aim. Smoothing out the wrinkles, he made out a short, sloppy note in his teammate's handwriting.

'_Same time, same place today?'_

He didn't need to explain further what he meant, but Kuroko couldn't help but roll his eyes to himself in exasperation. Granted, Kagami hadn't shown he was interested in romantic gestures or anything, but he could try to be more eloquent...or at least say what he wanted.

Scrawling an answering '_Yes, you idiot.'_ he whipped the balled up note at the back of Kagami's head, so he had to bend over and turn around to retrieve it off the floor. He supposed one good thing about Kagami was that he was predictable, and easy to please.

.

.

Kagami had learned many things over the course of his time at Seirin High - or...alright, maybe not _that_ many things; he might have learned more if he paid more attention in class - and one of those things was that when Momoi and Aomine showed up out of the blue without invitation, in the middle of practice, it usually meant trouble….or spying. Laying eyes on his rival automatically made his hackles prickle and his fists clench, but his attention was briefly diverted by Momoi immediately pouncing on Kuroko, tripping him, knocking the ball out of his hands and squeezing his face right against her large breasts in a crushing hug.

"Tetsu-kuuun~!" she squealed happily, "I haven't seen you in forever!"

Weirdly appalled rather than jealous of Kuroko - like he'd been known to be before, along with everyone else with the exception of Riko - Kagami opened his mouth to say something in objection - to demand Momoi keep her hands off, or something to that extent - but merely closed it again, now shaking with anger directed at both of the present Touou students.

"Momoi-chan," Kuroko stated tonelessly, his voice slightly muffled, "I can't breathe, please let go."

Momoi immediately did as he asked, and sprang to her feet, though she remained hovering in close proximity, clinging to Kuroko's arm once he'd stood back up as well. Thankfully, once the shock had worn off, it seemed like Kagami wasn't the only one who was wary.

"What are you doing here?" Hyuuga was the first to ask, straightening his glasses on the bridge of his nose as he sized up Aomine completely non-subtly.

Aomine gave a careless smirk, "What, old friends can't drop in to pay a visit now and then?"

"Not," Riko interjected, "When those 'old friends' are from rivaling teams. What interest do you have in Seirin's practice?"

"No interest," Aomine said dully, "But boredom tends to strike, and here just happens to be the closest school with a worthy adversary for me to play against. I thought I might score some action."

"What about her?" Riko challenged, squinting suspiciously at Momoi, as if she'd pull a knife out of her indelible cleavage.

"She insisted to come with me so she could latch onto Tetsu or something," Aomine shrugged, gazing at the woman in question hanging all over Kuroko, as if daring Riko to contradict this claim.

Discontented, Riko snorted and crossed her arms over her comparatively-inferior chest, "Fine. I suppose I can't kick you out. But go sit on the sidelines at least, until practice is over; you're being disruptive."

Aomine seemed neither approving nor disapproving of this order, and moved over without further ado to pluck Momoi off of Kuroko, dragging her over to the side of the gym and plopping her down to sit, sliding down the wall to recline beside her.

"But -" Kagami burst out finally, glaring first at his rival, then at Riko, "We can't let them just -!"

"They're not doing any harm by sitting there," Hyuuga pointed out calmly, "And you and Aomine can settle your differences when we're finished with practice. I suggest you save your breath."

Deciding he didn't have much choice but to grin and bear it, Kagami grit his teeth and set to work making sure he ran faster, jumped higher, and did anything that would show the watching Aomine that he could more than stand up to him when it came to that.

When at last the whistle was blown and the team headed to the locker room, Kagami hung back, shooting a venomous glance in his rival's direction while he waited for Kuroko to catch his breath and follow the others. His "shadow" seemed a little shaky, likely from lack of sleep, and when he did trail in the direction of the lockers, his stride seemed a little uneven...as if he was favoring one leg just enough to be noticeable. _How long has he been limping? Did he hurt himself during practice? Did Momoi knock him down too hard?_ He was probably sore from pushing himself so hard; Kagami could relate to that, though he wasn't about to show it in front of Aomine.

He hesitated to say anything, when he joined his teammate in the locker room, and had changed out of his uniform and was throwing his shirt on over his head before he could think of anything anyway.

"Are you alright?" he asked, glancing at him and injecting blaséness into his voice.

Kuroko had sat down and was rubbing the back of his left ankle gingerly, wincing a little, "Fine," he sighed, "Just a scrape that... might have been a little worse than I thought."

"Is it bleeding?"

"No, I don't think so. Don't worry."

Kagami blinked, and then scoffed lightly. "Who said I was worried?"

Kuroko gave one of his smiles that could hardly be called that and made a gesture with one hand, "Just your entire face. Are you going to go one-on-one against Aomine-kun?"

The change of subject erased the indignant look from Kagami's face, and any further concern, "I plan to; that bastard's had it coming since the Winter Cup...no, since before then."

Kuroko chuckled dryly, in what was more of a slight shaking motion of his shoulders than an amused sound, "Make sure you really give it to him, he won't walk away happy otherwise."

Kagami imitated the laugh, albeit more audibly and maliciously, "Believe me, I will. But first…."

He leaned in close and pressed his mouth to Kuroko's insistently, seizing him by the back of the neck and bearing down on him, bracing one hand against the bench for balance. He felt Kuroko lean up and add his own pressure, moving his lips against Kagami's and shifting to change the angle; eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks, a soft sigh of contentment from his "shadow"...

"Tetsu's a good kisser, isn't he?" a smooth voice broke in mockingly, popping the moment like a soap bubble.

Kagami jumped - he was sure he'd checked beforehand to make sure no one was here - and Kuroko had tensed as well, jarring them together awkwardly as they both struggled to break apart. Standing, arms akimbo, beside one row of lockers was the looming, dark form of Aomine; his sudden, undetected appearance rivaling Kuroko's in effectiveness. For a moment, Kagami imagined Kuroko might have accidentally bitten his tongue off, as he couldn't seem to convince it to produce words of any kind.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" He finally managed, almost cringing at how brainless that sounded to his own ears.

Aomine smirked sinfully, slipping his thumbs in his pockets and advancing a few steps, "He also gives one hell of a blowjob, you know."

Kuroko seemed to have found his tongue as well, and sat up straighter, "Lay off, Daiki." It was the first time Kagami had heard him drop the honorific when he spoke to Aomine, let alone call him by his first name. These facts and the icy tone of his eyes were the only indication that he was pissed off; he sounded calm and collected, as always.

_What… Do…they have a history or something…? More than what I was already aware of?_ Shock at the intrusion of his rival gave way to ire, and his fingers balled into fists again, _Great, yet another thing he's beaten me to…and bested me at._

Aomine's grin only widened, "It's been awhile since I've seen you so flushed, Tetsu, but don't you think you're setting your standard a little low?"

"Like you really have room to talk," Kuroko countered coolly. Kagami didn't know why he was surprised he didn't hear defense on his behalf, and he tried not to show it, "It's ancient history...what happened between you and me. Just drop it."

_It's rare that his words are so cutting...he doesn't usually take the bait from Aomine. Weren't they friends?_

Aomine's cobalt gaze passed disinterestedly over Kagami, "It seems I'm to be eternally baffled by what he sees in you. Now are you going to play against me or what?"

"Play?" Kagami growled, standing up slowly, "No...I'm going to crush you into the floor."

TBC


End file.
